Iga Swiatek completed a one-month suspension as per the order of the tennis authorities and will be eligible for the Australian Open.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep and Jannik Sinner (via X)
Iga Swiatek has said that comparing her doping case to others is difficult because “each case is completely different.” The five-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, in August before the Cincinnati Open.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that Swiatek bore “no significant fault or negligence.” She explained that the substance entered her body through contaminated non-prescription medication she used for jet lag and sleep. As a result, she received a one-month suspension.
Swiatek’s suspension lasted from September 12 to October 4. During this period, she missed the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan. She returned to play at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November and ended her season at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga. The World No.2 is now eligible to compete at the United Cup and the Australian Open.
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In contrast, Jannik Sinner avoided a ban after twice testing positive for clostebol in March, but the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Meanwhile, Simona Halep initially received a four-year ban in September for testing positive for roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. However, her ban was reduced to nine months in March after an appeal, allowing her to return to competition immediately.
In a candid interview on Polish television, Iga Swiatek revealed that her financial resources allowed her to hire top experts for her doping case. The five-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for trimetazidine at the Cincinnati Open in August and was informed of the result in September.
Swiatek presented her case to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in October. During her provisional suspension, she missed three tournaments in Asia, including key events. On November 28, the ITIA concluded that Swiatek bore “no significant fault or negligence.” They issued her a one-month suspension, most of which she had already served in October.While speaking to Anita Werner on Fakty po Faktach on TVN24, Swiatek shared her thoughts about the situation. She was asked how she felt upon learning about the failed test.
